>> egypt's president admits mistakes and calls for unity because of a controversial constitution that was signed on. hello, i'm in doja. the other stories we're following, an explosion in a warehouse. several buildings in the nigerian capital. damascus courts of meant for toyota, agreeing to pay out more than $1 billion because of faulty vehicles. and find out what will happen as

a climate change crosses the ocean. egypt's president admitted that he made some mistakes and is calling for unity to move the country into the new year. the opposition isn't listening, they're calling for more protests. >> it was the most conciliatory tone that the president had since the political crisis exploded last month. there was no floury religious verses or talk about a conspiracy, just a parent humility. >> during this transition, there have been mistakes that i take full responsibility for this. god knows i would not take any

decision except in the interest of the country. i am not after power or authority. it is the egyptian people level the authority. >> the response was immediate. >> we will continue the fight against the institution which is not representative and does not respect the rights of everyone including the women and the poor that continue to try to bring it down including through peaceful administrations. >> another important development, they took over legislative power. there will be passing laws until a new parliament takes over next year. even though the president is now relinquishing some power after a newly passed constitution, the

council includes 270 members, 90 of whom were appointed over the weekend. >> the upper house continues to pose a problem. it is a sliding majority that raises concerns because we have been looking for important laws that will supplement the constitution. >> the much talked-about demonstration law. they fear it would -- if it has not abated since he took over in june. in a speech on wednesday, the government urged members to focus on laws that will help the country move forward. >> this had been blocked by anti revolutionary forces. i urge you to work on that so we can regain the stolen money inside and out. >> they'll also be addressing

the account on wednesday, but the opposition has maintained that they need guarantees, not just words. >> there has been another high- profile defections, the commander of the military police has left the president without his government. they say they turn to gangs of murderers. >> i announce my defection from the army and joined the people of the revolution for the following reasons. the deviation of the army from the primary duty of protecting the country and killing and destruction. it has committed massacres against our people that took to the streets to demand their freedom. >> the opposition is reporting shelling across the country.

they claim at least 20 people have been killed, eight of them children. >> these are the bodies of civilians that activists say are the victims of government shelling. the videos that show heavy fighting in several areas. incensed fighting continues. mortar shells and similar schelling's ha. -- shellings take place. the government enjoys air superiority and is using it without reserve. but these rebel fighters are already getting ready for a full series. they are training for the creation of a future syrian army.

>> after liberating several areas, our thinking is that it shifted the for the syrian national army. our main goal is to topple the regime of, but we need to find an alternative to a takeover. >> organized and eager. they have inherited a lot. >> thousands of people have taken to the streets for the third time this week, protesting a number of arrests, targeting city officials. >> thousands have taken -- the

ministers bodyguards are arrested, accusing the government of being sectarian. >> this crowd is not political or sectarian, but represents everyone became for the marginal elevation. when we say the injustices happen, it doesn't mean we want to take the country to a civil war. >> the governor of the prime minister has denied allegations of adopting sectarian policies. >> this is an effort to return the sectarian divide after they lost voters and the continuous failure. therefore, they manage to bring

some of their national popularity. >> leaders accuse the prime minister of trying to consolidate his grip on power by excluding his political rivals. one such rival is the fugitive vice president that has been sentenced to death for charges of terrorism. and with a threat of an armed conflict with the semiautonomous kurdish north, the power-sharing government may collapse. the crisis comes almost a year after forces left iraq, but the country is far from stable were secure. >> a huge blast has torn through a fireworks were housed in nigeria. it happened in a densely populated neighborhood of the capital. the sound of exploding fireworks can be heard kilometers away. one person was killed and a

number of others injured. >> the services are confirming that the body has been pulled out of the burning building. the other people with various degrees of injuries have received treatment, others have been taken to the hospital. the fire started out this morning when a facility went up in flames and the fire quickly spread to other parts of the area, affecting eight buildings. some of the buildings have been seriously damaged. in this particular area, many of the buildings not conform with the building laws. fire outbreaks are common and have consumed many properties in the lives. >> the news agency is reporting that the u.n. is pulling

nonessential staff from the central african republic, the have already seized at least 10 towns in the north of the country. the protesters threw rocks and tore down the french flag. nelson mandela has been discharged after spending 18 days in hospital. the 94-year-old will continue to receive treatment at home until he fully recovers. he was being treated for lung infection and gallstones. u.s. president george h. w. bush has been moved to an intensive care unit, the 8-year-old suffering from a fever that has worsened. a spokesperson says he is in guarded condition but is alert and able to converse with medical staff. the suicide bomber has killed three people at a u.s. base in

afghanistan. if the explosion happened at the operating base.

have that giant palo? you through the top stories. egypt's opposition will continue to protest against what it is calling a fraudulent referendum. the president says he knows he has made mistakes but now's the time for national unity. a bombing raid has reportedly killed 20 people. and the head of the military police has defected saying that the government has turned into a gang of murderers. massive explosion and a fireworks were house and the largest city.

a densely populated district of labor. japan pose a newly elected prime minister is vowing to -- japan's newly elected prime minister is vowing to -- >> a second chance to make a mark. he stages a comeback of his career, and japan -- named japan's prime minister again. it set off political instability, and i want to learn from the previous experience. including the setbacks. >> the immediate challenge is the economy. years of industrial decline, an

aging population, and slumping exports have drags japan and the stagnation. they increase public spending and revitalize growth. >> he has shown to the nation that his administration has to be the wind that could pull out japan's economy. >> of the nationalist politics will be tested, especially in an ongoing territorial dispute with china. they have long wanted to rewrite the pacifist constitution that allows only a military for self-defense. >> this is how to reshape of the culture of japanese postwar society. he has written about these things in the past and that is what he is concerned with. >> a cabinet of new faces from his liberal democratic party. they will have to win over a

public weary of revolving door politics and convinces people that the best of times is still ahead. >> toyoda agrees to pay more than $1 billion to settle legal claims. the problems were found in many hybrid models that covers direct payout to customers and will go towards installing a break overrides system in 3 million cars. former car owners sold vehicles below the value because of bad publicity. the deal still needs to be approved by california federal judge. i am joined by the adult professor of economics at nyu, could have you with us. it is potentially one of the biggest settlement in history in the u.s.. if a sign of how serious this case is.

>> is certainly is a large amount. nobody is for defective vehicles, but i think it is a bit punitive and excessive. the larger issue is that we want to be able to encourage cross- border trade, foreign and direct investments, and private enterprise. when companies find out they have to pay excess of amounts for small defects, this can discourage that kind of economic activity. >> some might argue that this was a really unusual sort of case and situation. >> i agree, and like i said, public safety is certainly extremely important. and certainly, compensation to folks that had defective vehicles that put their lives in danger, that is justified.

but i wonder how much more had gone and other areas that might be overly punitive. this is not the first case where a company has come out with defective products. plenty of others were drugs did not work as expected or many other recalls have happened in history. those companies were not find in such a way. the biggest folks that benefit from this are the trial lawyers that walk away with hundreds of millions as well. >> they are not looking too bad, are they. let's shift the focus a little better. obviously a major player in the industry. what is the overall effect that the settlement will have on the industry and the japanese economy that is struggling to come out of the crisis. >> is clear it is not going to

be helpful. this is more money that is going for redress as opposed to going into more productive activity. but hopefully, toyota will recover from this. other companies won't be discouraged to create new products. there will always be a risk of something going wrong with new products and nothing is perfect. everyone knows that to create new shang's will entail risk of things that are anticipated. we need to make sure that the risk taking doesn't go away whether it is japan or anywhere in the world. >> me and mark is investigating the cause of a plane crash that killed two people and injured 11 others. in a crash landed before catching fire.

the surviving passengers return on tuesday. they have criticized the government for being too corrupt and standing in the way of progress. he made the comment during the meeting with cabinet ministers. he has been leading a wave of reforms and power shifted from military rulers. the world's longest high-speed rail line is now in service. we get a closer look at the showpiece. >> china has yet another milestone in the ambitious network. it will bring passengers from the capital to the southern gateway in just eight hours. it previously took 22 hours to cover this distance of 2,300 kilometers. it will travel at top speeds of 300 kilometers an hour. between 100 and $4,435.

>> businessmen travel quite often, efficiency is important. >> the type of high-speed rail network was established in 2007. the first was between beijing and a nearby town. but this goes north to south, going through 35 cities. the network has seen spectacular growth in five years. more than 9,300 kilometers. this is part of a vision to build a grid linking the four corners in the north, west, and the south. >> of the u.s. state department is criticizing russia oppose the upper house banning americas from adopting russian children. the bill will go to the president for his approval.

several protesters were arrested outside of the building. >> outside parliament, the knowledge of the quickly with demonstrators protesting as the bill which bars americans from adopting russian orphans. >> is not useful for our children or our national security or priorities. this lot is draconian and should not be adopted by the council. >> they unanimously backed the proposals which only leaves the signature of the president to become law. it is one of the toughest pieces of anti-u.s. legislation in years past in retaliation for an american law that would impose sanctions on russian officials implicated in human rights offenses. 16,000 russian orphans have been adopted by russian families.

opponents say the real victims will be the children. kids will stays, orphans. they have visas and they will not be treated properly. it is likely a death sentence for them. >> adoptions by americans suffer a tennessee woman took a russian boy back to moscow on a plan alone saying that he had emotional problems and she could not care for him. >> we must have a clear idea what is happening to our children and the citizens after they have been adopted. >> there is little doubt that the bill will become law. it has been just a few days since the president described it

as an appropriate measure, describing it as interference with russian affairs. >> major retailers are reversing policy sales because of uncertainty over the fiscal cliff. president obama has cut short his vacation to help reduce the national debt. budget cuts and tax rises will start on january 1. the white house has called on republicans not to block a resolution in congress. severe weather has caused hundreds of holiday flight delays with its sweeping storm system moving east after tornadoes struck for states on christmas day. at least six people have died. >> dallas, texas, where snow is a rarity came as a christmas surprise.

it turned white and the motorists struggled with slippery roads. 21 cars and fractured trailers, and eastern ohio, kentucky, and indiana. along with wind gusts of 50 kilometers an hour. the unusual winter phenomenon hit for seven states, 34 tornadoes. this one touchdown in mobile, alabama. it overturned cars and blew out windows. >> it is like this crazy wind, just the whole building is shaking. >> a caused no fatalities, but a thunderstorm fell this tree, killing a driver of this truck. and if no border was buried by an avalanche. the storm system shifts to the

eastern seaboard. >> writing levels of the city in the red sea is threatening the coral reef. in predicting how it looks in the future. the effects of climate change are apparent. >> marine scientists have been diving. they will be tested in highly acidic water to find out what happens to a coral reef as the chemical composition of the oceans change. leading the students is the doctor. the tanks have different levels of corrosive water simulating what scientists predict the oceans will be like 5100 years from now. >> there is no question about it, they're getting more acidic and it becomes more corrosive.

also, it changes the ocean chemistry. these have developed over so many years. if >> researchers have discovered that it has a tough time becoming hard and calcifying. animals have trouble building shells at a skeletons take longer form. eventually, all this could resolved. these are cemented together, and in reality takes over, competing through space. scientists are concerned that the entire ecosystem becomes weaker. at the very least, it will mean major change. it could mean that we crumble and disappear in a worst-case scenario. >> some have been tested for the last seven years. >> stronger coral, this is

weaker. and we want to see in a changing environment, who will be the winners and to be the losers? >> if climate changes and a slowdown, the sea will be twice as acidic as it was before the industrial age. the smallest to largest will be affected. and the ocean as we know it will be a very different place. >> jerry anderson, the creator of thunderbirds has died. >> 3, 2, 1. >> science fiction series first aired in 1965 with a use of the country. that followed the avengers of the international rescue using

spacecraft and a range of vehicles. he suffered from alzheimer's disease since 2010. he died in his sleep at age 83. two bear cubs have been given a second chance after they were rescued by forest rangers. >> their mother was apparently killed, which means they were killed, which means they were all